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SLED.

(No Model.) Ll MQULTON 85 J. H.

m. m B #m V Q 7/7 UNITED STATES ,WENT rines.

LUTHER V. MOULTON AND JOHN H. REHPIS, OF GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN.

SLED.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 369,359, datedSeptember 6, 1887.

A pplicaiion filed June 10, ISST. Serial No. 240,914.

To @ZZ r11/wm it may concern:

Be it known that we, LUTHER V. MOULTON and JOHN H. REMPIS, citizens ofthe United States, residing at Grand Rapids, in the county of Kent andState of Michigan, have invented a new and useful SleiglrKnee, of whichthe 'following is a specification.

Our invention relates to that class of sleighluees which provide for anoscillating motion of the runner, which is attached to a single beam bymeans of said knee. I-Ieretofore the construction of this class ofsleigh-knees has been such that wrought-iron could not be advantageouslyused in their construction. They were therefore necessarily heavy andcumbersome to avoid breakage. The center of oscillation of the runnerhas also been outside the center of the beam,which tends to throw thestructure out of square and produce unnecessary strains therein when therunner oscillates. But a single bearing upon the runner has beenprovided,which tends to spring the runner at the middle and break theshoe.

rlhe objects of our invention are, first, to provide a knee that willhave an oscillating movement about the axis of the beam without the.expense of forming a journal upon the end of said beam; second, to sosupport the beam that it will have no tendency to rotate upon its ownaxis, as is the case when the runner is pivotcd below the axis of saidbeam; third, to so adapt the form of the structure that both cast andwrought iron may be used in its construction; fourth, to provide meanswhereby the runner may readily be detached from and attached to thebeam; fifth, to provide a cheaper, stronger, and more durable structure.We accomplish these results by the mechanism illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is an elevation of ourimproved sleiglrknec with portions broken away, showing it partly insection; Fig. 2, a plan View of said sleigh-knee complete; Fig. 3, avertical section on the line x m of Figs. 1 and 2, and Fig. et a plan ofthe upper part of the knee sides flattened and its front and rear sides(No model.)

rounded or cylindrical, their surfaces being concentric to the axis ofsaid beam.

B represents a portion of the runner.

C is the knee, which consists of a concave seat, d, having its uppersurface concentric to the axis of the beam and having its outer edgesadapted to engage with grooves in the flanges f of the saddle D, andlegs b I), which extend downward and out-ward from said seat, to thelower end of which is attached the runner B. These legs are providedwith flanges e c at either side,whiel1 engage with the sides of therunner, and also with the edgeslof the wroughtiron strap F, along whichthey extend, as indicated at e c.

D is the saddle, the upper side of which is fitted to the under surfaceof the beam, and the under surface of which saddle is made convex to tthe seat d and adapted to slide thereon about the axis of the beam. Ateither end of the saddle are ilangesff, which abut against the edges ofthe seat d, and are also extended inward upon the under side of saidseat, thus forming curved grooves, in which the edges of the seat slidefreely.

E is the cap, the upper surface of which is convex, the radius of saidconvex surface being the same as the sides of the beam and about thesame center. Said cap has also upon its upper surface flanges e c',engaging the edges ofthe strap F.

The saddle D and cap E are secured to the beam by means of the bolts a',and the knee is secured to the runner by bolts a, which also S5 passthrough the ends of the strap F, securing it in place. Said strap may befurther secured to the knee by rivets or bolts i', and is made of acontinuous strip of band-iron extending along the under side of the legsZ) b and in a semicircle over the top of the beam and cap, inclosing thesaine.

H is a tie-bar consisting of a strip of iron extended along the top ofthe runner, the ends of which are turned at right angles at c, engagingwith the ends of the legs b Z and strap F.

The operation of our device is as follows: The convex surface of thesaddle D, the sides ofthe beam A, and the upper surface of the cap E allpresent surfaces concentric to the axis of the beam. Inclosing these arethe con IOU cave seat d and the strap F, which slide upon the same asthe runner oscillates. The concavity of the seat d and the convexity ofthe saddle D and the abutment of the edges of said seat against theflanges f, together with the engagement of the strap F with the flangesc and e and the convex sides of the beam, all operate to retain therunner at right angles to the beam. The length of the seat d and saddleD and the engagement of the flanges f with the under side of the seat d,together with the inclosure of the beam and cap by the strap F, alloperate to support the knee in a vertical position under the beam.Either the extension of the iiangesf to engage with the under side ofthe seat d or the portion of the strap E which encircles the beam may beomitted in light structures, either being sufiicient for the purposedescribed. In the latter case the runner is readily detached from thebeam by rotating it about the axis of said beam until nearly inverted,when the edges of the seat slide out of engagement with the iianges onthe saddle. The bearing-surfaces being concentric to the axis of thebeam and the load resting upon the flattened upper surface thereof,there is no tendency of the beam to roll upon its axis. The strap Fbeing secured to the convex surface of the leg b materially increasesits capacity to sustain heavy loads, and being inclcsed between flangesat the sides also strengthens said leg against lateral strains. Thetie-bar H operates to connect the legs b, and takes the spreading strainof the load upon the same. Said legs,having separate bearings atconsiderable distance apart, distribute the load upon the runner, thusavoiding the tendency to break the shoe at the middle.

We are aware that runners have been attached to ordinary wagon-axles bymeans of hubs inclosing said axles, and connected to said runners bylegs or braces; also,that beams having journals formed thereon have beenconnected to runners by knees having concave surfaces at the topentirely encircling said journals; also, that knees having journals attheir upper ends located below the axis of the beam are not new. IVe donot claim these, broadly.

What we claim and wish to secure is as follows:

1. In a sleigh, in combination with the beam and runner, a knee havingaconcave seat concentric with the axis of the beam, said seat havingedges adapted to engage with grooves in the saddle, and a saddleattached to the under side of the beam, having a convex surface incontact with said concave seat,

and grooves engaging with the edges of the same, substantially asdescribed.

2. In a sleigh, in combination with the beam and runner,a knee having aconcave seat concentric to the axis of the beam and partially encirclingthe same upon its under side, and a saddle secured to the under side ofsaid beam, having a convex surface resting upon said `seat and flangesabutting against the edges of said seat, and a strap attached tosaidknee and encircling the beam, substantially as described.

3. In a sleigh, a beam having flat upper and under sides and roundedfront and rear sides concentric to the axis of said beam, to the datsides of which beam are attached a cap and saddle having convex surfacesconcentric to the axis of said beam, in combination with a knee having aconcave seat at the top supporting said saddle, and a strap attached tosaid knee and `encircling said beam and cap, substantially as described.

4. In a sleigh-knee, in combinationwith the legs connecting the beam andrunner,and provided with flanges at either side, a strap extending alongthe surface of and secured to the said leg, the edges of said strapabutting against said iianges,snbstantially as described.

5. In a sleigh, in combination with a knee having legs supporting aconcave seat, and provided with ilanges at either side, and a beamhaving attached a saddle provided with a convex surface resting uponsaid seat, and flanges engaging with the edges of said seat, a strapconsisting of a continuous piece extending along the inner surfaces ofsaid legs and 9 5 abutting at its edges against the flanges of saidlegs, and also encircling said beam, substantially as described.

6. In a sleigh, in combination with a knee having legs supporting thebeam and provided with iianges at either side, straps extending alongand secured to the inner surfaces of said legs, the edges of said strapsabutting against said fianges, and a tie-bar connecting the lower endsof said legs, substantially as described.

LUTHER V. MOUL'ION. JOHN H. REMPIS.

IVitnesses:

DENNis L. Bocinas, SARAH A. MoULroN.

lCO

